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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — to get on
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. net — for catching
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com